Repeat offender Havana Rey's shocking run warrants harsher penalty

HAVANA Rey, who was beaten 19 lengths at Warwick Farm on Saturday as an odds-on favourite, is a repeat offender, but it does not seem to be unduly worrying stewards.

When connections fronted the bench after Saturday's shocker, Havana Rey was given exactly the same penalty as he was six months ago, he has to barrier trial before he races again.

In the meantime punters can save up and get ready to do their money again when perhaps in another six months he gets beaten 25 lengths.

At Canterbury on August 4, Havana Rey, following wins at his previous two runs, started heavily backed at $3.10 and was beaten a whopping 12 lengths after leading and falling in a hole (sound familiar?). The penalty, as stated, "barrier trial before you race again".

On Saturday his form again was consistent prior to the race, but he left that form at home and was a beaten horse at the 800m.

Doesn't anybody seem to worry about the punters? The fact he was beaten 19 lengths must surely be disturbing when so much money was bet on him.

ANOTHER odds-on favourite, Knoydart, was also beaten at Warwick Farm and at a much shorter price of $1.40.

He was only beaten just over a length and I think he had excuses which were compounded when the race turned into a walking affair when Glyn Schofield put the brakes on the expected leader That's A Good Idea.

At his previous start That's A Good Idea, over 1400m, shared the lead in a race with the first 800m being run in 45.70 seconds, which was much faster than Saturday's early speed of the first 700m in a 1300m race being run in 41.75 seconds.

Stewards, to their credit, quizzed Schofield about his changed tactics, but nothing much seemed to be achieved.

I cannot quite get my head around this whole change of tactics rule. Does anybody get suspended or penalised because of it, or is it just window dressing?

COREY Brown thought it a bit harsh that he was suspended for weighing in overweight on Kristy Lee when she dead-heated for third with the discrepancy at the scales obviously costing her outright third place.

If Corey thinks it is a bit tough, those who backed Kristy Lee each- way and only got back half their stake certainly don't. I think he got off light.MIRACLES Of Life is rightly a red- hot favourite for the Blue Diamond following her dashing win at Caulfield on Saturday, but what is amazing to me is the fourth horse in the market, behind Miracles Of Life, Guelph and Thermal Current, is an unraced filly named Politeness.

Politeness, by Street Sense and trained by Robert Smerdon, must have huge raps on her and the tip is we will see her at Moonee Valley on Friday night with Glen Boss aboard.

As far as Guelph is concerned I am reserving judgment. She looked great winning on Saturday, but the second horse was beaten at Newcastle at his previous run, the third horse was unraced and the fourth horse was beaten at Parkes.

OMEN punters were disappointed when I Am Razor was scratched from the first on Saturday. She is trained by Terry Gillett.

IT was good to see Darren Beadman waving to the TV cameras at Canterbury on Friday night. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw The Dazzler on the other side of the cameras shortly.

THE Victorian Racing Integrity Commissioner Sal Perna may be a little naadive on racing matters, but he seems a decent and honest fellow and I agreed with him 100 per cent when he said on TV yesterday there is no doubt penalties for certain matters in Victoria need to be reviewed.

The most ludicrous penalty of all was when Danny Nikolic was fined $250 on each of four matters for phoning punter and commission agent Neville Clements from the Flemington jockeys room.

Possibly the thought of no more than a $250 fine may have influenced Damien Oliver when he made his now infamous call from the jockeys room at Moonee Valley to have 10 grand on the favourite in a race in which he was riding the second favourite.

Of course Oliver's subsequent 10- month suspension when the bet was discovered was also far too light. I reckon that penalty would have been a result of a bit of plea bargaining.

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